Parenting is a Joke

Comedian Tony Deyo joins Ophira Eisenberg this week to talk about balancing creative work with family life, starting with his strict morning writing routine that often happens next to his son playing video games. He describes raising his now-11-year-old, the youngest in his class, and reflects on being the youngest in school himself. Tony shares the story of meeting his wife in college marching band — he was a drummer, she played clarinet — and riffs on the personalities of every instrument section, from flighty flutists to arrogant trumpeters. He recalls teaching band in Texas, where even tiny towns had million-dollar music programs, and compares it to his son’s current school where he ended up donating a bass drum stand after watching one sit on the floor during a concert. Tony explains how writing marching band shows became the financial bridge that allowed him to leave teaching for comedy, while still supporting his family. He also talks about timing his late-night TV appearances around his son’s birth, pulling back from stand-up during his child’s early years, and now enjoying adventures together like Broadway shows, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and planning a Route 66 road trip. The conversation ends with Ophira marveling at Tony’s son being a true “come with guy,” always ready to say yes to whatever plan his dad dreams up. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Tony Deyo : https://www.instagram.com/tonydeyo/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack episode, John Moe—host of Depresh Mode and Sleeping with Celebrities—shares memories with Ophira Eisenberg of sneaking into R-rated movies as a kid, including the terrifying but oddly comical Alien chest-burster scene that was softened by nearby jokesters comparing it to a hot dog with ketchup. He recalls being deeply shaken by The Exorcist and a low-budget Bigfoot “documentary,” which hit especially hard growing up in the Pacific Northwest. Moe also talks about the movies he’s passed down to his kids—Back to the Future, The Blues Brothers, Smokey and the Bandit, and Star Wars—while reflecting on how their pacing collides with today’s faster attention spans. Watching E.T. as an adult made him empathize more with the stressed single mother and even the government researchers than with the kids. Shifting to parenting, he describes handling discipline through conversations about consequences rather than punishment, being impressed by his teens’ self-regulation with social media, and missing the portability of younger children more than the sleeplessness. He admits he never kept journals—unless there was a chance to get paid for writing—but loved the sense of renewal around back-to-school rituals. Ultimately, Moe says parenting has taught him that raising kids, like jazz, is improvisation, and he once even wrote a Sharpie “P” on his hand as a reminder to practice patience. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Come to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow John Moe: https://www.instagram.com/johnmoe/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, John Moe talks to Ophira Eisenberg about raising three kids while juggling multiple jobs in public radio, writing, and podcasting. He recalls his parents’ Norwegian roots, including summers spent above the Arctic Circle and the bone-dry humor of his father, whose jokes sometimes landed days later. Comedy became the family’s shared language, even as emotional expression was stifled at home, and Moe admits he often repeats phrases from his parents—like telling his kids to “snap out of it”—despite his professional focus on mental health. He describes how having a third child “broke” him in a liberating way, leading to their move from Seattle to Minnesota, where three-kid families felt more culturally normal. The conversation weaves through memories of Carol Burnett and Monty Python, misheard church greetings like “Metellina Moe,” and the difference between depression and simple misery, before circling back to Moe’s mission of making space for open conversations about mental health—work informed by losing his brother to suicide. The episode closes with Moe comparing shifting stigma around therapy to societal changes in littering and drunk driving: slow progress, but progress nonetheless. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Come to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow John Moe: https://www.instagram.com/johnmoe/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Dratch joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about raising her 13-year-old son Eli, reflecting on how his confident, social personality contrasts with her own bookish teen years. She recalls once assuming she wouldn’t have children, only to be surprised when a channeler predicted she’d meet someone and have one child—a prophecy that eerily came true when she met Eli’s father months later and became pregnant at 44. Rachel discusses the challenges of managing screen time, joking about how her hierarchy of goals slid from “read a book” to “at least watch TV instead of TikTok shorts.” She shares how Eli’s friendships overlap with the kids of fellow SNL alums Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Emily Spivey, and how he joined her as her date to the Tony Awards when she was nominated for POTUS. The conversation also covers her son’s passion for basketball, her abandoned dream of playing cello for him, and Halloween costumes she still brags about years later—including a homemade Doritos bag. A recurring theme is Rachel’s mix of skepticism and bemusement around the supernatural, from crystals in her pocket to Eli’s deep pronouncement that “time isn’t real.” The episode ends with her warning against trampoline parks, after two of Eli’s birthday parties ended with ER visits. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Rachel Dratch: https://www.instagram.com/raedratch/Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Jordan Carlos joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about parenting two kids with very different personalities—his 10-year-old daughter, a perfectionist baker supplied with Costco-sized vanilla extract, and his six-year-old son, who polices Halloween candy wrappers with post-it notes. Jordan shares how his daughter’s three grandmothers got her hooked on baking, and how his son’s sharp eye caught him sneaking Whoppers late at night. The conversation moves into the emotional leap from age eight to ten, the Simon & Garfunkel “Hello Darkness” phase, and balancing attention between siblings. Jordan also compares Black and White Thanksgivings—Dallas versus New Hampshire—while marveling at his in-laws’ quiet avoidance of conflict. He tells a wild story about losing his wallet while paddle boating on Governor’s Island, diving into the muck to retrieve it as his son scolded him for swearing. From babysitters drinking beer on the job to a childhood broken arm he let heal on its own out of fear of getting in trouble, Jordan reflects on rule-following, parenting negotiations, and the strange privileges kids have today. The episode ends with Jordan imagining how much more his kids might care about U.S. history if Taylor Swift told the story of Ellis Island. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Jordan Carlos : https://www.instagram.com/jordancarlosofficial/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this Parenting is a Joke snack episode, ​head-writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Danny Ricker joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about how his work and family worlds overlap in unpredictable ways. He shares how writing jokes for Kimmel during the pandemic meant working from his garage while his kids crashed Zoom meetings, and why pitching jokes with a toddler tugging on his sleeve changed the whole dynamic of the room. Danny recalls how his children’s blunt feedback sometimes lands harder than a network note, and how bedtime stories often turn into test runs for monologue material. He describes the strange pride of seeing his kids repeat late-night style jokes at school, including one about Guillermo that got surprisingly big laughs on the playground. The conversation comes full circle when Danny admits the most nerve-wracking audience he’s ever faced isn’t Jimmy, the network, or a celebrity guest—but his own kids at the dinner table. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.comCome to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow Danny Ricker: https://www.instagram.com/heydannyricker/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with Danny Ricker, head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live and author of Wow, You Look Terrible: How to Parent Less and Live More. Ricker shares how the book’s title came from the daily mirror shock of his early parenting years, when exhaustion rewired him permanently into a 5:30 a.m. riser. He describes raising two kids—an 11-year-old daughter who now bonds with him over The Simpsons and an eight-year-old son who still delights in simple joys like rocks—while recalling how his wife and he started dating at 15 and played husband and wife in a high school production of Neil Simon’s Rumors. The conversation touches on his long career at Kimmel, his obsession with productivity and self-help books, and his favorite invention from his own parenting survival guide: the “purgatory cabinet,” a foolproof system for making unwanted toys disappear. By the end, he explains why tossing one Lego a day might be the most effective jailbreak from clutter, comparing it to tunneling out of prison “one scratch at a time.” 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.comCome to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow Danny Ricker: https://www.instagram.com/heydannyricker/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack episode, Andrea Marie talks about what it’s like dating as an empty nester after her “Zoom divorce” during the pandemic, and how she approaches relationships differently in her fifties—more confident about saying no, more aware of her priorities, and less interested in rushing toward marriage. She shares the efficiency of dating apps (though admits to fantasizing about faking an ankle injury to escape a bad hiking date), the humor of having a boyfriend eight years younger who referred to things as being from “her era,” and the fact that she has still never received a dick pic. Andrea contrasts her own parenting years with today’s challenges, especially the role of phones and social media, and recalls her kids joking about her “weird rules,” including banning SpongeBob and punishing them with a month-long Walgreens ban over a two-for-one candy fight. She reflects on moments of losing her temper—her kids nicknaming her “crazy eyes”—but also on the joy of finding the right activities, like her son’s lasting love of Ultimate Frisbee. The conversation closes with Andrea laughing at the memory of strategizing free Bible camps as summer childcare, a reminder that resourcefulness (and comedy) often go hand in hand in parenting. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Andrea Marie Vahl : https://www.instagram.com/andreavahl/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Parenting is a Joke episode, comedian Andrea Marie talks about founding the Moms Unhinged Comedy Tour after becoming an empty nester and realizing she finally had the freedom to hit the road. She shares with host Ophira Eisenberg how her unconventional upbringing with a prank-loving mom who once greeted boyfriends in a gorilla costume—and even trained as an Italian-style clown—shaped her sense of humor. Andrea describes her first career as a Facebook marketing expert and author before pivoting into stand-up, where her earliest jokes came from midlife crises and parenting fails rather than ad campaigns. She reflects on juggling speaking gigs while raising kids, from blogging under an umbrella at water parks to arranging her schedule around school breaks. The conversation also covers her divorce, the loss of her mother, and the strange world of “cemetery surge pricing.” Andrea recalls wild moments from Moms Unhinged shows, like a woman breaking her ankle in Bend, Oregon, another falling down the stairs in Fort Dodge, and having to bounce a disruptive audience member in her hometown. She admits producing and performing can feel like being “the mom” of the show, but the sold-out theaters and grateful audiences—especially women new to comedy—have made it worthwhile. The episode closes with Andrea laughing about the Chardonnay shortages that nearly sparked a mutiny at Martha’s Vineyard, proof that the “unhinged” part of the tour title is sometimes more literal than metaphorical. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Andrea Marie Vahl : https://www.instagram.com/andreavahl/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Parenting Is a Joke snack episode, Ophira Eisenberg talks with bestselling author Domenica Ruta about the messy, improvised reality of writing and parenting while raising kids. Domenica describes how her creative process has nothing to do with 4 a.m. routines—rejecting Glennon Doyle’s approach with a “bitch, please” and instead likening her schedule to a Jackson Pollock painting made of poop. She recalls pounding out an “ugly” first draft while pregnant, then facing the absurd parent math of paying more for childcare than she earned from freelancing. The two trade stories about breast pumps that seemed to chant insults—never encouragement—and even hatch the idea of a pump that offers affirmations instead of taunts. Domenica also reflects on the painful friend attrition after her baby shower, the pushback she got from publishers who didn’t want a book about motherhood, and her insistence on telling her novel All the Mothers through many voices—including even babies’ points of view. The conversation ends with her pride in shaping a book that reflects the real chaos and shifting center of family life, even if, as Ophira jokes, the next draft should just add a sniper. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Domenica Ruta: https://www.instagram.com/domenicaruta/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices